One of the most startling revelations of Facebook's ongoing Cambridge Analytica controversy is just how easy it was for a third-party developer to access millions of people's personal data without their knowledge — even if they hadn't downloaded the app themselves.

That's because Facebook's policies prior to 2014 were much more lax than they are today. At the time, apps could scrape data from both their users and the friends of those users, unless you had your privacy setting sufficiently locked down.

The company actually built an "Anonymous Login" tool that was specifically created so that Facebook users could log into third-party services without making all of their data available to developers. Read more...

One of the most startling revelations of Facebook's ongoing Cambridge Analytica controversy is just how easy it was for a third-party developer to access millions of people's personal data without their knowledge — even if they hadn't downloaded the app themselves.

That's because Facebook's policies prior to 2014 were much more lax than they are today. At the time, apps could scrape data from both their users and the friends of those users, unless you had your privacy setting sufficiently locked down.

The company actually built an "Anonymous Login" tool that was specifically created so that Facebook users could log into third-party services without making all of their data available to developers. Read more...

More about Tech, Facebook, Apps And Software, Social Media Companies, and Tech]]>VW will race its all-electric prototype in the Rocky Mountainshttps://mashable.com/2018/03/19/volkswagen-race-id-r-pikes-peak-electric/
Sasha Lekachhttps://mashable.com/?p=bp-70995Mon, 19 Mar 2018 22:57:19 +0000
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Electric VehiclesVolkswagenVolkswagen I.D.Race To The CloudsPikes Peak International Hill Climb

The "Race to the Clouds" is on and Volkswagen is putting its all-electric I.D. R Pikes Peak prototype racing car to the test.

The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on June 24 in Colorado's Rocky Mountains is a 100-plus year tradition that races vehicles on a 12.4-mile route up to 14,115 feet above sea level with more than 100 turns to navigate. Volkswagen last competed in 1987 with a dual-engine Golf.

The German carmaker announced Monday that this year, it'll be racing the newest concept from its electric I.D. family. The self-driving, electric concept I.D. Vizzion was presented at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this month. Read more...

The "Race to the Clouds" is on and Volkswagen is putting its all-electric I.D. R Pikes Peak prototype racing car to the test.

The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on June 24 in Colorado's Rocky Mountains is a 100-plus year tradition that races vehicles on a 12.4-mile route up to 14,115 feet above sea level with more than 100 turns to navigate. Volkswagen last competed in 1987 with a dual-engine Golf.

The German carmaker announced Monday that this year, it'll be racing the newest concept from its electric I.D. family. The self-driving, electric concept I.D. Vizzion was presented at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this month. Read more...

ProTip: When discussing nefarious techniques to entrap politicians and swing elections, first make sure you're not secretly being filmed.

That, apparently, was a memo the CEO of Cambridge Analytica, Alexander Nix, missed. The executive was caught on film by investigators with London's Channel 4 News discussing all the ways his company can influence elections around the world — and it's not pretty.

The entire report is worth a watch (it's embedded below), and it suggests that Nix's own damning words will be held against him for some time. Just how bad are those aforementioned words? We're glad you asked. In the video, Nix discussed bribing politicians while secretly filming them and sending Ukrainian escorts to the homes of political candidates. Read more...

ProTip: When discussing nefarious techniques to entrap politicians and swing elections, first make sure you're not secretly being filmed.

That, apparently, was a memo the CEO of Cambridge Analytica, Alexander Nix, missed. The executive was caught on film by investigators with London's Channel 4 News discussing all the ways his company can influence elections around the world — and it's not pretty.

The entire report is worth a watch (it's embedded below), and it suggests that Nix's own damning words will be held against him for some time. Just how bad are those aforementioned words? We're glad you asked. In the video, Nix discussed bribing politicians while secretly filming them and sending Ukrainian escorts to the homes of political candidates. Read more...

The social media company's market valuation fell by roughly $40 billion on Monday following the revelation that the Trump-linked, U.K.-based company Cambridge Analytica harvested information from 50 million Facebook profiles without user consent.

The company's stock price was down 6.8 percent by the end of the day, marking the worst day the stock has had since March 2014.

The decline is one of the biggest percentage drops to ever occur for the social network's stock, and according the Wall Street Journal, the decline also knocked Facebook out of the S&P 500's five biggest market caps. The distinction of the S&P 500's biggest five is now held by Apple, Google's parent company Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, and Berkshire Hathaway. Read more...

The social media company's market valuation fell by roughly $40 billion on Monday following the revelation that the Trump-linked, U.K.-based company Cambridge Analytica harvested information from 50 million Facebook profiles without user consent.

The company's stock price was down 6.8 percent by the end of the day, marking the worst day the stock has had since March 2014.

The decline is one of the biggest percentage drops to ever occur for the social network's stock, and according the Wall Street Journal, the decline also knocked Facebook out of the S&P 500's five biggest market caps. The distinction of the S&P 500's biggest five is now held by Apple, Google's parent company Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, and Berkshire Hathaway. Read more...

Kanye superfan Harry Dry, attempted to create a Kanye West-inspired dating app that allows users to connect via their shared love of the iconic rapper. Unfortunately, the funding goal for 'Yeezy Dating' was not reached, leaving us all in a 'Love Lockdown.' Read more...

Kanye superfan Harry Dry, attempted to create a Kanye West-inspired dating app that allows users to connect via their shared love of the iconic rapper. Unfortunately, the funding goal for 'Yeezy Dating' was not reached, leaving us all in a 'Love Lockdown.' Read more...

More about Kickstarter, Mashable Video, Kanye West, Kanye West, and Relationships]]>Here's what you need to do before you break up with Facebookhttps://mashable.com/2018/03/19/how-to-delete-facebook-account/
Brian De Los Santoshttps://mashable.com/?p=bp-70961Mon, 19 Mar 2018 21:28:05 +0000
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FacebookMark ZuckerbergTechBig Tech Companies

So, you want to free yourself from Facebook.

Let's be real, we all want to do it. But few of us actually ever do, because whether you like to admit it or not, a lot of your life likely relies on it. Whether it's keeping up with friends' birthdays, or keeping in touch with a relative who lives across the country, there are a number of factors that probably keep you using the service. Breaking up with Facebook is a lot harder than you think.

Let's be real, we all want to do it. But few of us actually ever do, because whether you like to admit it or not, a lot of your life likely relies on it. Whether it's keeping up with friends' birthdays, or keeping in touch with a relative who lives across the country, there are a number of factors that probably keep you using the service. Breaking up with Facebook is a lot harder than you think.

There's just one, rather large problem: When it comes to the social media giant, quitting is not the same thing as being free. That's because over its 14 years in existence, Facebook has aggressively wormed its way into the lives of its users — both current and past.

And the company knows way more about you than just what you've intentionally shared.

The most prominent example of this is the so-called shadow profile. It was revealed in 2013 that the company's profiles of its users included information outside of the normal scope of a Facebook account. Things like your non-Facebook associated email or your phone number — even if you've never purposefully handed it over — are likely on the company's servers and pegged to your real-world identity. Read more...

There's just one, rather large problem: When it comes to the social media giant, quitting is not the same thing as being free. That's because over its 14 years in existence, Facebook has aggressively wormed its way into the lives of its users — both current and past.

And the company knows way more about you than just what you've intentionally shared.

The most prominent example of this is the so-called shadow profile. It was revealed in 2013 that the company's profiles of its users included information outside of the normal scope of a Facebook account. Things like your non-Facebook associated email or your phone number — even if you've never purposefully handed it over — are likely on the company's servers and pegged to your real-world identity. Read more...

InnoVision created an augmented reality game called 'ARCat,' allowing users to raise their own cat through their phone. Users can do almost anything with their cat, from feeding them to playing with them at their local park. Read more...

InnoVision created an augmented reality game called 'ARCat,' allowing users to raise their own cat through their phone. Users can do almost anything with their cat, from feeding them to playing with them at their local park. Read more...

Lawmakers are calling for Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify in the wake of a massive data scandal centered around the political research company, Cambridge Analytica, and how it harvested the private Facebook data of more than 50 million Americans without their consent.

While the social network's founder is remaining silent in the wake of the controversy, an academic researcher directly involved is reportedly willing to speak.

In an email obtained by CNN, Aleksandr Kogan, the academic who helped Cambridge Analytica harvest user profile information of more than 50 million Americans, wrote to his colleagues at Cambridge University, "I've also seriously been asked if the FBI has reached out, if the two congressional committees in the United States have reached out, and if Parliament or any authorities in the UK have reached out." Read more...

Lawmakers are calling for Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify in the wake of a massive data scandal centered around the political research company, Cambridge Analytica, and how it harvested the private Facebook data of more than 50 million Americans without their consent.

While the social network's founder is remaining silent in the wake of the controversy, an academic researcher directly involved is reportedly willing to speak.

In an email obtained by CNN, Aleksandr Kogan, the academic who helped Cambridge Analytica harvest user profile information of more than 50 million Americans, wrote to his colleagues at Cambridge University, "I've also seriously been asked if the FBI has reached out, if the two congressional committees in the United States have reached out, and if Parliament or any authorities in the UK have reached out." Read more...

Wyden's letter comes days after a pair of explosive reports surfaced alleging that the Trump-linked data firm Cambridge Analytica was able to access the data of more than 50 million users via a third-party app. Read more...

Wyden's letter comes days after a pair of explosive reports surfaced alleging that the Trump-linked data firm Cambridge Analytica was able to access the data of more than 50 million users via a third-party app. Read more...

UPDATE: March 19, 2018, 3:23 p.m. PDT Tempe police Sgt. Ronald Elcock at a Monday afternoon news briefing identified the Uber driver behind the wheel as Rafael Vasquez, 44. He said the driver was not impaired when the car, a Volvo, hit the woman, who had stepped out of the crosswalk mid-block. The car was going about 40 mph in autonomous mode, police said.

Earlier, Tempe police spokesperson Detective Lily Duran said in an email the crash was reported around 10 p.m. Sunday night. She did not have details on when the woman, identified as 49-year-old Elaine Herzberg, died after she was taken to a hospital. Read more...

UPDATE: March 19, 2018, 3:23 p.m. PDT Tempe police Sgt. Ronald Elcock at a Monday afternoon news briefing identified the Uber driver behind the wheel as Rafael Vasquez, 44. He said the driver was not impaired when the car, a Volvo, hit the woman, who had stepped out of the crosswalk mid-block. The car was going about 40 mph in autonomous mode, police said.

Earlier, Tempe police spokesperson Detective Lily Duran said in an email the crash was reported around 10 p.m. Sunday night. She did not have details on when the woman, identified as 49-year-old Elaine Herzberg, died after she was taken to a hospital. Read more...

At home, you generally have your hands free. In the car, not so much. But while Alexa has clearly made your casa her casa (she's even laughing at you these days), she's nowhere to be found when you need her on the road.

Muse is a crafty little gadget looking to change that — and *gasp* it's not even made by Amazon.

We've written about Muse before, with Pete Pachel saying, "the Muse sounds like the ideal device for iPhone owners who want to bring Alexa to their cars cheaply and easily — especially if you use Alexa for music a lot."

At home, you generally have your hands free. In the car, not so much. But while Alexa has clearly made your casa her casa (she's even laughing at you these days), she's nowhere to be found when you need her on the road.

Muse is a crafty little gadget looking to change that — and *gasp* it's not even made by Amazon.

We've written about Muse before, with Pete Pachel saying, "the Muse sounds like the ideal device for iPhone owners who want to bring Alexa to their cars cheaply and easily — especially if you use Alexa for music a lot."

In the great retail war of our time that pits Amazon against every other major retailer, a new shopping initiative from Google could tip the scales back in favor of big box stores.

On Monday, Google announced a new program called Shopping Actions. Under the initiative, when Google users search with the phrase "Where can I buy [product]," Google will serve product listings from mega-retailers including Walmart, Target, Costco, and more. Customers can either directly buy these products from the stores' websites, or put them in their Google Express shopping carts.

In the great retail war of our time that pits Amazon against every other major retailer, a new shopping initiative from Google could tip the scales back in favor of big box stores.

On Monday, Google announced a new program called Shopping Actions. Under the initiative, when Google users search with the phrase "Where can I buy [product]," Google will serve product listings from mega-retailers including Walmart, Target, Costco, and more. Customers can either directly buy these products from the stores' websites, or put them in their Google Express shopping carts.

HQ — the popular trivia app that almost gave away $25,000 to one lucky winner on Sunday — has been pulled from the App Store due to one tiny, but important mistake. The person behind the company's iTunes developer account forgot to update an expired credit card.

We were alerted to HQ's absence from the App Store by Adam Blacker, communications lead at Apptopia. After looking through the App Store rankings this morning, as part of his work routine, he did not see HQ. We checked and found when you search for "hq" only other trivia games appear:

HQ — the popular trivia app that almost gave away $25,000 to one lucky winner on Sunday — has been pulled from the App Store due to one tiny, but important mistake. The person behind the company's iTunes developer account forgot to update an expired credit card.

We were alerted to HQ's absence from the App Store by Adam Blacker, communications lead at Apptopia. After looking through the App Store rankings this morning, as part of his work routine, he did not see HQ. We checked and found when you search for "hq" only other trivia games appear:

The average portable bluetooth speaker can't do what an Amazon Tap can do. You've got Alexa's hands-free streaming music, news updates, and pizza-ordering capabilities with you for up to 9 hours of continuous playback. Just tap the microphone and ask Alexa to take care of the rest.

It's normally listed at $130, but you can save 23% today and get one for $100.

The average portable bluetooth speaker can't do what an Amazon Tap can do. You've got Alexa's hands-free streaming music, news updates, and pizza-ordering capabilities with you for up to 9 hours of continuous playback. Just tap the microphone and ask Alexa to take care of the rest.

It's normally listed at $130, but you can save 23% today and get one for $100.

We've come a long way from playing 2D Mario games in the back of our parents' cars. Now, we've got Skyrim, Bayonetta, Minecraft, and yes, even a bigger and better Mario game in the palm of our hands thanks to the Nintendo Switch. If you're still playing while you're riding in a car (and who wouldn't), then you're probably gonna run out the battery eventually. Snag this Nintendo Switch car charger on sale for $12.74 and keep the game going.

We've come a long way from playing 2D Mario games in the back of our parents' cars. Now, we've got Skyrim, Bayonetta, Minecraft, and yes, even a bigger and better Mario game in the palm of our hands thanks to the Nintendo Switch. If you're still playing while you're riding in a car (and who wouldn't), then you're probably gonna run out the battery eventually. Snag this Nintendo Switch car charger on sale for $12.74 and keep the game going.

HTC has announced the price for its new virtual reality headset, the Vive Pro: $799.

The headset, which was originally announced during CES in January, will now become HTC's flagship VR product. The regular Vive will become the company's entry level VR headset, with a new price tag of $499.

The Vive Pro has high-resolution, dual OLED displays, with a combined resolution of 2,880 x 1,600 pixels (a 78 percent increase). It also has a slightly different design (more comfortable, HTC claims), and new integrated headphones with a built-in amplifier. Read more...

HTC has announced the price for its new virtual reality headset, the Vive Pro: $799.

The headset, which was originally announced during CES in January, will now become HTC's flagship VR product. The regular Vive will become the company's entry level VR headset, with a new price tag of $499.

The Vive Pro has high-resolution, dual OLED displays, with a combined resolution of 2,880 x 1,600 pixels (a 78 percent increase). It also has a slightly different design (more comfortable, HTC claims), and new integrated headphones with a built-in amplifier. Read more...

Ever seen your dream job posted on LinkedIn, but been too lazy to ask for a referral? You're in luck: LinkedIn now does that for you.

LinkedIn has rolled out "Ask for a Referral," a feature that will allow you to ask LinkedIn connections for a referral with a single click. The online employment service has been testing the feature over the past month.

Now, whenever you're looking at a job posting where a connection works, an option to "Ask for a referral" will appear. Clicking this button will open a pre-written LinkedIn message to your connection. Read more...

Ever seen your dream job posted on LinkedIn, but been too lazy to ask for a referral? You're in luck: LinkedIn now does that for you.

LinkedIn has rolled out "Ask for a Referral," a feature that will allow you to ask LinkedIn connections for a referral with a single click. The online employment service has been testing the feature over the past month.

Now, whenever you're looking at a job posting where a connection works, an option to "Ask for a referral" will appear. Clicking this button will open a pre-written LinkedIn message to your connection. Read more...

Remember the Marlboro Man? He was a sexy vision of the American west, created by a cigarette corporation to sell a fatal product. People knew this and used that product anyway, at great detriment to themselves and those around them who quietly inhaled toxic secondhand smoke, day into long night.

An agreement between states and tobacco companies banished the rugged cowboy at the end of the 1990s, but the symbol is useful even 20 years later as we contend with a less deadly but no less frightening corporate force. Social networks that many of us signed up for in simpler times — a proverbial first smoke — have become gargantuan archives of our personal data. Now, that data is collected and leveraged by bad actors in an attempt to manipulate you and your friends. Read more...

Remember the Marlboro Man? He was a sexy vision of the American west, created by a cigarette corporation to sell a fatal product. People knew this and used that product anyway, at great detriment to themselves and those around them who quietly inhaled toxic secondhand smoke, day into long night.

An agreement between states and tobacco companies banished the rugged cowboy at the end of the 1990s, but the symbol is useful even 20 years later as we contend with a less deadly but no less frightening corporate force. Social networks that many of us signed up for in simpler times — a proverbial first smoke — have become gargantuan archives of our personal data. Now, that data is collected and leveraged by bad actors in an attempt to manipulate you and your friends. Read more...

Twitter will soon ban several types of cryptocurrency ads on its platform, Sky News reported Sunday.

The ban, that is slated to go live in two weeks, will be global and it will prohibit ads for initial coin offerings (ICOs) and cryptocurrency wallets. Twitter might also ban ads for cryptocurrency exchanges — with some "limited exceptions," the report claims.

If the report is accurate, it would mean Twitter is following in the footsteps of Facebook and Google. Both companies have recently banned all cryptocurrency ads on their respective platforms — though Google's ban goes into full effect in June this year. Read more...

Twitter will soon ban several types of cryptocurrency ads on its platform, Sky News reported Sunday.

The ban, that is slated to go live in two weeks, will be global and it will prohibit ads for initial coin offerings (ICOs) and cryptocurrency wallets. Twitter might also ban ads for cryptocurrency exchanges — with some "limited exceptions," the report claims.

If the report is accurate, it would mean Twitter is following in the footsteps of Facebook and Google. Both companies have recently banned all cryptocurrency ads on their respective platforms — though Google's ban goes into full effect in June this year. Read more...

Apple is working on a new type of LED display in a secret facility in California, Bloombergreported Monday.

The screen tech, called MicroLED, is similar to OLED in some respects (both don't require backlight and offer better contrast than LCDs) but has better brightness and consumes less energy. However, MicroLED is harder to produce than OLED, which is why the technology hasn't been successfully commercialized yet.

The fact that Apple is interested in MicroLED isn't new; the company acquired MicroLED developer LuxVue in May 2014. Back then, rumors had it that Apple will use MicroLED in its then-upcoming Watch, but the company ended up using an OLED screen. Read more...

Apple is working on a new type of LED display in a secret facility in California, Bloombergreported Monday.

The screen tech, called MicroLED, is similar to OLED in some respects (both don't require backlight and offer better contrast than LCDs) but has better brightness and consumes less energy. However, MicroLED is harder to produce than OLED, which is why the technology hasn't been successfully commercialized yet.

The fact that Apple is interested in MicroLED isn't new; the company acquired MicroLED developer LuxVue in May 2014. Back then, rumors had it that Apple will use MicroLED in its then-upcoming Watch, but the company ended up using an OLED screen. Read more...

You’ll be able to begin shopping for a Ford online in the Midwest starting on Monday and the plan is to roll out the online portal to all U.S. markets by the end of the year. So far, it’s been tested out in five states, including Ohio.

Chris Thornton, Ford's retail network experience manager, described the shopping site as an online dealership. "We've taken elements from the sales process ... and put those online," he said in a phone call. That means less time at the car lot, though you'll still have to go to the dealership to fill out some forms and arrange for the car delivery and pick-up. Read more...

You’ll be able to begin shopping for a Ford online in the Midwest starting on Monday and the plan is to roll out the online portal to all U.S. markets by the end of the year. So far, it’s been tested out in five states, including Ohio.

Chris Thornton, Ford's retail network experience manager, described the shopping site as an online dealership. "We've taken elements from the sales process ... and put those online," he said in a phone call. That means less time at the car lot, though you'll still have to go to the dealership to fill out some forms and arrange for the car delivery and pick-up. Read more...

More about Cars, Ford, Online Shopping, Tech, and Transportation]]>IBM has created a computer smaller than a grain of salthttps://mashable.com/2018/03/19/ibm-worlds-smallest-computer/
Monica Chinhttps://mashable.com/?p=bp-70887Mon, 19 Mar 2018 04:01:00 +0000
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Computer TechnologyComputerComputersIbmTech

If there's one downside to powerful computers, it's that they're too damn big.

Luckily, that's about to change. At least, if IBM has anything to say about it.

March 19 is the first day of IBM Think 2018, the company's flagship conference, where the company will unveil what it claims is the world's smallest computer. They're not kidding: It's literally smaller than a grain of salt.

But don't let the size fool you: This sucker has the computing power of the x86 chip from 1990. Okay, so that's not great compared to what we have today, but cut it some slack — you need a microscope to see it. Read more...

March 19 is the first day of IBM Think 2018, the company's flagship conference, where the company will unveil what it claims is the world's smallest computer. They're not kidding: It's literally smaller than a grain of salt.

But don't let the size fool you: This sucker has the computing power of the x86 chip from 1990. Okay, so that's not great compared to what we have today, but cut it some slack — you need a microscope to see it. Read more...

Cambridge Analytica allegedly used this data for something it called "psychographic profiling," using the information to predict voting behaviour. It was used by the Trump campaign during the 2016 presidential election, and is being investigated for its role in the "Brexit" referendum vote. Read more...

Cambridge Analytica allegedly used this data for something it called "psychographic profiling," using the information to predict voting behaviour. It was used by the Trump campaign during the 2016 presidential election, and is being investigated for its role in the "Brexit" referendum vote. Read more...

More about Tech, Facebook, Social Media, Cambridge Analytica, and Social Media Companies]]>YouTube still hasn't figured out how to keep its videos age-appropriatehttps://mashable.com/2018/03/18/youtube-kids-app-conspiracy-videos/
Karissa Bellhttps://mashable.com/?p=bp-70920Mon, 19 Mar 2018 00:35:11 +0000
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TechYoutubeApps And SoftwareYoutube KidsGooglr

YouTube Kids is once again facing questions over the content of its app. This time, it's not violent videos but questionable conspiracy theories.

A report in Business Insider found the app recommended a number of videos promoting conspiracy theories, including that the moon landing was faked, the pyramids were built by aliens, and that "the planet is run by reptile-human hybrids," among others.

YouTube Kids is once again facing questions over the content of its app. This time, it's not violent videos but questionable conspiracy theories.

A report in Business Insider found the app recommended a number of videos promoting conspiracy theories, including that the moon landing was faked, the pyramids were built by aliens, and that "the planet is run by reptile-human hybrids," among others.

Facebook is once again in hot water over the role its policies may have played in the election.

On Saturday, two explosive reports from The Guardian and The New York Times surfaced alleging that more than 50 million Facebook users had personal data used without their knowledge by Cambridge Analytica, a U.K.-based data firm employed by Donald Trump's presidential campaign in 2016.

Facebook is once again in hot water over the role its policies may have played in the election.

On Saturday, two explosive reports from The Guardian and The New York Times surfaced alleging that more than 50 million Facebook users had personal data used without their knowledge by Cambridge Analytica, a U.K.-based data firm employed by Donald Trump's presidential campaign in 2016.